Kannur
Ritual gods, laterite forts and long beaches in North Malabar
A Kannur tour joins theyyam rituals, the 1505 St Angelo Fort, Payyambalam and a drive-in beach of about 4 km on Kerala's northern Malabar Coast.
Overview
Kannur, called Cannanore under British rule, is a coastal district in northern Kerala, part of the North Malabar country. Travellers aiming for theyyam should arrive between mid-October and late May, the ritual season, while October to March is the clearer, more pleasant stretch for beaches and forts.
Theyyam is the reason many people come. Performers, mostly from the Malayan and Vannan communities, take on the identity of deities through painted faces, tall headgear and drumming, and nearly 400 forms are counted. The art is concentrated in Kannur and neighbouring Kasaragod, with some performance in Wayanad and north Kozhikode. Muthappan is among the best known, with a temple at Parassinikadavu beside the Valapattanam river where worship is open to view and dogs hold a sacred place. Near Kannur University's campus, about 16 km from the city, Neeliyar Kottam is a 20-acre sacred grove where Neeliyar Bhagavathy is worshipped without a roofed sanctuary.
History is visible in stone. St Angelo Fort, a laterite bastion above the Arabian Sea, was raised in 1505 by the Portuguese viceroy Francisco de Almeida, taken by the Dutch in 1663 and sold to the Arakkal ruler in 1772. The Arakkal were Kerala's only Muslim dynasty, ruled in the 17th century, and the former royal palace now holds the Arakkal Museum. Farther south, Thalassery has its own fort and a bungalow once used by the German missionary Hermann Gundert, about 4 km out of town. The district also saw Pazhassi Raja's armed resistance to the British between 1792 and 1806.
On the coast, Muzhappilangad is a drive-in beach where firm sand allows vehicles to roll along the water, and it is billed as the longest of its kind in Asia, at about 4 km. Payyambalam is a gentler spot for sunsets and walks. Kannur is also Kerala's largest handloom-producing district, and Thalassery is known for biryani made with jeerakasala rice.
Kannur International Airport opened on 9 December 2018 at Mattannur, about 26 km from the city, and Kannur railway station is on the Southern Railway network. The coast gets heavy rain, around 3,400 mm a year, mostly in the monsoon.
Known for
Costumed ritual performances, with nearly 400 forms counted
Happening soon
Updated Oct 3, 2026Kottiyoor Vysakha Mahotsavam
festivalUsually May to June, running from the Malayalam month of Edavam into Midhunam. The Kerala Tourism Digital Event Calendar listed 23 to 24 May 2026. No 2027 dates found.
A weeks-long pilgrimage at the Kottiyoor temples on the Bavali river, centred on a self-formed Shiva lingam and held in the monsoon.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesQuick facts
Tropical monsoon climate with winter temperatures of about 24 C and summer highs of about 35 C, and rainfall of around 3,400 mm a year.
Kannur International Airport (CNN), at Mattannur, about 26 km from the city
Kannur (CAN), in the city
National and state highways connect Kannur, with bus and taxi services.
Theyyam runs from about mid-October to late May, so plan around those months and confirm each performance locally, since the official calendar shows dates are approximate
Muzhappilangad is a drive-in beach, so ask locally before taking a vehicle onto the sand
Carry a rain layer from June to September, when the district receives most of its rainfall
Packages that visit Kannur
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A Kozhikode Wayanad Kannur tour in Kerala: five days from Calicut airport to halwa streets, Edakkal's carvings, a forest safari and St Angelo Fort.
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